Generating evidence, inspiring insights, informing learning, and influencing action
Crown Agents has a dedicated Evidence, Insights, and Learning (EIL) Unit to ensure that the organisation’s programmes, strategies, and business winning opportunities are informed by evidence, data, and insights. The primary role of our EIL Unit is to ensure robust resources and processes are in place to gather, analyse, and synthesise high quality information and insights from various sources to provide actionable recommendations to inform learning, rapid decision-making and adaptive management. The EIL Unit has expertise in monitoring and evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, research design and implementation, and knowledge management. The EIL Unit work collaboratively and closely with clients, programme teams, partners, key stakeholders and communities to identify information needs and develop a comprehensive approach to data collection, analysis, reporting and learning that will achieve the best results in any given context.
Key functions of our EIL Unit include:
- Monitoring and evaluation (M&E): The EIL Unit supports the design and implementation of M&E systems to track programme performance and assess the effectiveness of interventions. This includes the development of fit for purpose result frameworks, indicators and data collection tools, undertaking data analysis to identify trends and patterns, and the utilisation of this information to improve programme performance. The team are strengthening the integration of Gender, Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) into programme M&E frameworks, ensuring that programmes systematically collect sex, age, and disability disaggregated data and include specific metrics to measure meaningful change for women and girls, and vulnerable and marginalised populations.
- Research: The ELI Unit have extensive experience in the design, analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative research, including: systematic reviews; rapid assessments; deep dives; mixed-method studies; nationally representative surveys (both household and health facility); participatory evaluation ethnographic and research; operations research; intersectional gender and social inclusion analyses; and participatory learning action (PLA) research cycles. Team members have undertaken these within programme implementation, and as standalone, discrete research studies.
- Data management: The EIL Unit supports the development and implementation of data management systems to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of data. They are also responsible for developing and maintaining data quality standards and protocols to ensure data is collected and managed in a safe, ethical, and consistent manner.
- Evidence-based decision-making: The EIL Unit supports programmes to identify evidence-based insights to inform learning and decision-making during design, implementation and evaluation. This may entail reviewing a range of data sources, such as surveys, focus groups, case studies, and administrative data, to provide insights that inform programme design, implementation, and evaluation.
- Adaptive management: Bringing about positive change can be a complex and dynamic process that requires ongoing adaptation to changing social, environmental, and economic conditions. The EIL Unit encourages programmes to be flexible and responsive to these changing conditions, as well as continuously learning and adapting strategies in response to new information and insights to improve programme effectiveness. The EIL Unit actively encourage the importance of engaging with local communities and stakeholders, building their capacity to participate in decision-making, and promoting transparency and accountability during programme implementation.
- Knowledge management: The EIL Unit is responsible for capturing, organising, and disseminating knowledge across the organisation and sharing new learnings to the wider sector. They create knowledge products, such as briefs, reports, and infographics, and feed into communication materials to ensure that insights are shared with relevant stakeholders.
The EIL Unit plays a critical role in promoting evidence-based decision-making, improving programme performance, and driving organisational learning and innovation. The unit prides itself on being non-extractive, participatory and accountable to our clients and the communities in which we work.